The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday reminded the public to remain vigilant against the proliferation of fake peso bills, especially during this Christmas season.
PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said crimes against property like theft and robbery, as well as fraud and deceit, usually increase during the holiday season.
“The PNP reminds the public to be careful with their transactions when they shop in markets and malls, especially this time when many overseas Filipinos return home with remittances,” she said.
“Particularly, we remind the public to have their money exchange transaction in authorized money changers,” she added.
Earlier, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas advised people to use the “Feel-Look-Tilt” method to check the security features of the New Generation Currency (NGC) banknotes.
With Christmas Day just around the corner, Fajardo further asked people to buy gifts and supplies as early as now to avoid the holiday shopping rush. She also reminded the people to only buy from legitimate sellers, even in online shops.
“Let’s avoid waiting for the Christmas rush. Shop earlier and don’t get mixed up with the crowd. Money switching usually happens when there are many people,” she said.
